Richard Carlier's Cocktail Database

May 3, 2003 3:48 PM

The Cocktail Season Is Upon Us! Get That Cocktail Season Off Of Me! For I regret, Mesdames, Messieurs, that 2003's best little cocktail website is in French. Sacré Bleu! [More inside.]
posted by MiguelCardoso (13 comments total)

However, since cocktail names, recipes and ingredients are more or less all universal and ATonTour is such a friendly, stupendously searchable, thourough and professional database (most recipes are those of the IBA, the International Bartenders' Association) I doubt the lushes over at Homeland Security will be tracking our visits.

Obsessive types - and scholarly drunkards - will find there are a few fascinating differences between the art of the American Cocktail as practiced in America and in Europe.

Finally, I reluctantly leave the mining of the very interesting links page to you. À la tienne!

[Passed for front page inspection by the MetaTalk Review Board. Sort of.]
posted by MiguelCardoso at 3:50 PM on May 3, 2003

"a few fascinating differences between the art of the American Cocktail as practiced in America and in Europe."

Such as? I see the same old same old. No to critisize, I just didn't find it. Please to elaborate?
posted by y6y6y6 at 4:00 PM on May 3, 2003

dude, that must be a french site; i couldn't find any fine american coctails listed . . .

MUD SLIDE
2 oz Creme de Cacao (Dark)
fill cream \ 2 oreo cookies \ 2 scoops ice cream or mix
ice \ blended \ frozen

JELLO SHOOTERS
- 3 cup(s) Water
- 2 cup(s) Ever Clear
- 3 package(s) Jello

FRENCH BLOW JOB
- 1/2 oz Vodka
- 1/2 oz Amaretto
- 1/2 oz Chambord
- 2 oz Half & Half
- 1 squirt(s) Whipped Cream
posted by _sirmissalot_ at 4:14 PM on May 3, 2003

I found a few differences, but one usually does from guide to guide. The more sophisticated cocktails have endless variations. Lets take a look at Carlier's Manhatten and the Manhattens I make.

Manhattan

Les infos
Verre : Cocktail
Méthode : Verre à mélange
Alcool : Oui
Pour : 1

Ingrédients
* 7/10 volume de whisky
* 3/10 volume de vermouth blanc, sec

Procédure
* Mélanger à la cuillère et passer dans des verres.
* Décoration : cerises à l'eau de vie

I was taught to only use Bourbon, never mere whiskey (save it for shots) when making a manhattan. I was also struck by the exclusion of bitters from this recipe. So I would have made this as:
2/3 part bourbon (Maker's Mark prefered for quality and price)
1/3 part sweet vertmouth
Dash Angostura bitters.

Shake and serve up, or build in a rocks glass over ice, garnish with a cherry.

Manhattan (2)

Les infos
Verre : Cocktail
Méthode : Shaker
Alcool : Oui
Pour : 1

Ingrédients
* 3/5 volume de bourbon
* 1/5 volume de vermouth blanc, sec
* 1/5 volume de vermouth rouge
* 1 trait d' Angostura

Procédure
* Dans un shaker à demi rempli de glaçons verser les ingrédients, frapper et passer dans les verres.
* Ajouter un zeste de citron au moment de servir.

In Manhattan 2 we see the bourbon and the bitters. What struck me about this recipe is in America, as far as I know, this is called a perfect manhattan and would be served with a lemon twist instead of a cherry.

Long winded, I know, but I found the site quite interesting and searchable despite my complete lack of French langauge skills.
posted by elwoodwiles at 4:16 PM on May 3, 2003

Hmmm, Manhattan 2 is served with a zeste de citron. My bad.
posted by elwoodwiles at 4:18 PM on May 3, 2003

DUCK SEASON!
RABBIT SEASON!
DUCK SEASON!!
RABBIT SEASON!!
DUCK SEASON!!!
RABBIT SEASON!!!
COCKTAIL SEASON!!!!
MIGUEL SEASON!!!! SHOOT ME NOW!!!
just another Chuck Jones homage
posted by wendell at 5:06 PM on May 3, 2003

Elwoodwiles: Well spotted, Sir! I like my Manhattans (Old-Fashioneds and Sazeracs) made with American rye whiskey: here's a good Manhattan link and an old rye thread and cocktail thread, both of which discusses Manhattans.

Also, note that the "cherries soaked in eaux-de-vie" in the French bar are quite an anomaly. They would always be soaked in Maraschino liqueur in any other bar. I have great fun soaking my own as the "cocktail cherries" available are just sweet garbage. The cherry is only essential in the Old-Fashioned: a good link here.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 5:14 PM on May 3, 2003

Bah! This site has way too many drinks on it for it to be considered serious. The challenge of a good cocktail resource isn't to list a zillion recipies, just the fifty important ones. The last thing the world needs is another list of disgusting candy drinks.

The best cocktail site I know if is still Cocktail Time, one of the few Wired sites to survive relatively intact. Paul Harrington's book from the site is fantastic.
posted by Nelson at 5:25 PM on May 3, 2003

The thread links (in addition to the post) are excellent too. I was surprised by the name Absinthe cocktail, and its conspicuous presence of Pernod.

About the closest I usually come to a coctail is a Bourbon 'n Branch, or when the Southern Gentleman urge strikes, a Mint Julep, though I have made quite a few for others.

From the links, Sciences de comptior has some interesting information on bistro things.

Thanks, M.C.!
posted by hama7 at 9:10 PM on May 3, 2003

Glad you found drinkboy.com, Miguel. It's a good 'un.
posted by Vidiot at 10:58 PM on May 3, 2003

But seriously, I can recommend the cocktail topics on Chuck Taggert's LOOKA weblog even if I haven't actually tasted any of them (and damn few of the food recipes).
posted by wendell at 2:32 AM on May 4, 2003

Good site Miguel, but this margarita will never do - and that's one of my favorite seasonal treats, when made with care. Here's a better resource. And then there's the Jimmy Buffet version and lord knows he's had a few.
posted by madamjujujive at 10:05 AM on May 4, 2003

Wendell is not on my payroll, I swear.

Great link, Miguel ... thanks! Here are a few more:

Probably the most comprehensive cocktail website on the net (and it's only just getting going) is CocktailDB, a co-production of Martin Doudoroff and Ted "Dr. Cocktail" Haigh. So far the DB contains 4,733 documented cocktail recipes; i.e., from authoritative published sources only, and sources going back to 1862 at that. No made-up frat boy drinks, such as those which unfortunately poison the Webtender.com site. So far you can search by cocktail name or fragment thereof, and ingredient.

Besides the main DrinkBoy site Robert also has a lively group on MSN called The Community for the Cultured Cocktail, plus a newish weblog as well.

Then there's Gary and Mardee Regan's Ardent Spirits site, Dave Wondrich's site on Esquire, "King of Cocktails" Dale DeGroff's site ... plenty to keep you quaffing to your heart's content.

Madam JJJ: Hmm, perhaps Jimmy's had a few too many. Cuervo tequila? Rose's lime juice? Cheap triple sec? ¡Dios mio! Try this one: 3 parts Herradura Silver tequila, 2 parts Cointreau, 1 part fresh-squeezed lime juice. Mmmmm, delicioso...
posted by chuq at 5:30 PM on May 7, 2003